A £1.5 million government investment will help build two indoor cricket domes to allow the sport to be played all year round.
The domes, in Luton, Bedfordshire and Farington, Lancashire, are intended to further open up the sport to women, disabled players, South Asian communities and state school-educated children.
Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy said cricket has a “remarkable power to inspire and unite communities”.
Ministers and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hope the domes will provide a lasting legacy from the women’s T20 World Cup being held next year.
The Luton dome, due to open in early 2026, will give state school children access to cricket, with the potential to offer other sports including hockey and tennis.
The dome at Farington will open in the summer of 2026 and will serve as a focal point for women and girls’ cricket – Lancashire’s women’s side will have a permanent base at the site – as well as acting as a hub for disability cricket.
England and Lancashire spinner Sophie Ecclestone said: “Facilities like these can make a massive difference in local communities and open cricket up to so many more people, and it will be brilliant to see them in action next year.”
Officials want the domes to open up the game to people of all backgrounds, pointing to figures showing a third of recreational players in England and Wales are of South Asian descent while 2024 saw the number of women and girls playing increase by a fifth.
Ms Nandy said: “Cricket has a remarkable power to inspire and unite communities all over the world and today we are making sure that more people of all backgrounds have the chance to experience the game.
“These domes will be places where cricket-lovers and newcomers alike can come together to play, get active, make real-life connections and chase sporting dreams.”
ECB chairman Richard Thompson said the domes would be “transformative” for their communities and “they are an important part of our plans to break down barriers and make cricket the most inclusive team sport”.
